Made any good New Year’s resolutions? Next question: are you managing to stick to them? Studies have shown that most New Year’s resolutions will be abandoned by 19th January. So to give you a helping hand, OJO has put together 10 tips on how to keep New Year’s resolutions, for the best possible shot of keeping them this year, and for all years to come! Haven’t set any goals yet? No problemo – these tips will shed a whole new light on New Year’s resolutions – how to set them and how to keep them.
10 Tips on How To Keep New Year’s Resolutions
A new year is here – a blank canvas, new hope, and an opportunity to make some positive changes in our lives. It’s all very well setting amazing goals for ourselves, but it’s quite another keeping them (and don’t we know it). But don’t you fear! Having your backs as always, we’ve put together some essential tips on how to stick to new year resolutions.
1. Dream big!
By setting an ambitious goal for yourself, you’ll also inspire others in the process and might even create a small fan club to cheer you along! Signing up for that gruelling marathon, committing to losing 50 pounds or starting a new business – are all sure ways to encourage others to follow in your footsteps and create a beautiful bubble of support.
2. Choose specific goals
Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions are to “lose weight”, “exercise more” and “get more stuff done”. These are all positive goals but they’re also a little vague. The best tip for how to keep New Year’s resolutions is to break them down into bite-size achievable missions. So instead of saying “lose weight”, you could aim to lose X pounds per week/month and then create realistic weekly workout/health plan to make it happen. The lesson here people – aim big, but plan small.
3. Quality over quantity
Achieving just one small goal can do wonders for the confidence. With this said, it’s a good idea not to set yourself too many goals in one go. You might very well have a long list of things you’d like to achieve this year but spreading yourself too thin could actually be counterproductive. By focusing your energies on just one goal at a time, you’re more likely to actually achieve it. Therefore, less is more in the matter of how to keep New Year’s resolutions
4. Start with small steps
Taking on too much at once is a sure-fire way to burn and crash before you’ve even gotten started. Overdoing it at the gym or starting a radical diet plan are examples of why good New Year’s resolutions often fail.
You wouldn’t run a marathon without having run at least a half marathon first, would ya now? In fact, if you were training properly you’d start by going for a jog a few times a week and then build it up slowly to longer runs more often. Starting with small changes can give you those all-important foundations that you can build from and follow through with.
5. Make a commitment
By putting your goal out there where everyone can see it, it’ll be a lot harder to quit. You could do things like create a Facebook page which shows your progress along the way. And you wouldn’t need to invite all and sundry, just a select few who will have your back. And if you’re not into social media, you could just make a bit of an announcement to your partner or colleagues. Shout it from the rooftops if you have to – making it official is a good trick for how to stick to new year resolutions.
6. Stick to it
Experts say that it takes around 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. You might find it tough to start with, but just stick with it for a little while longer and you could be a mean, lean fighting machine! (or whatever else it you’re aiming to be).
7. Say thank you
We’re only human, so there might be a day that you’re not feeling 100% and can only manage to run for 10 instead of the 30 minutes you’d planned. In times like these, remember to thank yourself and remember that any activity is better than none – you’ll make up the 30 minutes tomorrow and everything will be fine. You showed up, and that’s what matters.
8. Get a support buddy
Got a pal who’s shares one of the same New Year’s resolutions as you? Buddy systems work really well, and can help you stay motivated as you support each other through the various leaps and hurdles that you’ll face. Plus, you’ll have a laugh!
Even if you don’t have a buddy who shares the same goal as you, it’s always a good idea to tell your nearest and dearest about your goal ambitions – they might even offer ways to help you.
9. Remind yourself why you’re doing this
If you set yourself good new year’s resolutions, you’ll probably have started the year guns a blazin’ and ready to kick it into action, but we all hit walls sooner or later. Let’s face it, it might be easy enough to commit to waking up at 6am to go for a daily run but as soon as that alarm clock goes off, you might be tempted to roll over and stay sleep, however snazzy those brand-new trainers are.
If you’re intent on keeping your New Year’s resolutions, you’ll need to regularly remind yourself of why you’re doing this, why you’re putting yourself through this tough challenge. Try writing a list of the reasons why you want to achieve this goal, and keep it handy for when the going gets tough, which it inevitably will.
10. Reward yourself along the way
Ever heard the quote, “Happiness is the journey, not the destination”? Achieving your goals should be a rewarding journey, and your success shouldn’t be saved for the last of the 50 pounds you’ve shed. You need to be calling yourself a winner every step of the way, with mini celebrations every time you achieve small step. Haven’t smoked a cigarette for 1 week? Dance around your living room to celebrate! Written the first 3 pages of the novel you’d set your sights on starting? Get a pat on your back from your pal.
A word from OJO
What are your goals this year, amigos? Remember, successfully keeping your New Year’s resolutions can purely be about setting the right goal for yourself and going about achieving it in the right way. Have fun with it and remember that the journey is just as important as the result!
